The
Ferrari "Enzo Ferrari" (in short: the Enzo), is the top sports car from
Ferrari and probably in the world during this decade, what the McLaren
F1 was for the 1990s. With a limitation of 399 units, an unrivaled top
speed of 217 mph (350 km/h) and a price tag of USD 650,000 it surely
is one of the most exclusive automobiles on the market. The “Enzo Ferrari”
was unveiled at the “Mondial de l’Automobile 2002”, the Paris Motor Show,
in September 2002. “The Enzo is a historic car for Ferrari for various
reasons. Therefore, we had to chose a name with a strong symbolic significance
and that was the name of the Company founder,” said Ferrari boss Luca di
Montezemolo. “With an Formula 1 gearbox, a 6000 cc V12 engine, carbon and
composite materials, the Enzo, is the perfect synthesis of four consecutive
Formula 1 Championships in the last four years.”

"This
is because it is the race track itself which has been the source of the
highest level of technology characterizing a unique car which is absolutely
innovative and represents the quintessence of Ferrari past and present
and looks to the Ferrari of the future", said Montezemolo. On presentation
of the Enzo in Paris, Luca de Montezemolo also explained: "Our founder,
Enzo Ferrari always wanted to see the racing influence extend to the design
of the road cars. Therefore, I am particularly happy to present a car bearing
the name of Enzo Ferrari in the presence of Piero Ferrari and his young
grandchild", said Montezemolo, “In sport as in life, winning is difficult
but it is even harder to keep on doing it. Passion, innovation technology
and the desire to excite; these are the reasons behind Ferrari’s success.”

The
mid-engined, two-seater Enzo is powered by a new compact, ultra-light 660
bhp, V12. The final sales number will be not 349, as initially announced,
but 399. "Many collectors expressed dismay that they could not have the
car, so that I was forced to say we would build 50 more, but that is all,"
the chairman asserted. "It will not be like F40; every car will be numbered
and have my signature, and 399 is all we will make." Red is the colour
of Ferrari: the red one is the most popular of all of them with 80 percent
of all orders and a yellow Enzo is ordered by 15 percent of all customers,
whereas five percent of customers order their cars in black." And all we
can add is that this means that with F1 world champion Michael Schumacher
the Enzo probably had the best test-driver in the world.